A national study to find the safest college and university campuses in the United States has found that East Central University ranks among the safest.

StateUniversity.com, a leading website for college information, has ranked East Central University No. 2 in Oklahoma for campus safety, based on incidents of campus crime as reported in 2011by campus safety officials. ECU ranked behind only first-place Murray State College in nearby Tishomingo.

Nationally, ECU ranked No. 44 out of the 450 schools included in the study.

A Shawnee businesswoman has found a rather unusual way to help the community.

Julie Landes volunteers her time as a mediator through Early Settlement Mediation, a process that allows both sides in a dispute to develop an acceptable resolution without going to court.

Early Settlement, part of the Oklahoma Dispute Resolution Program, provides an important service to local communities throughout Oklahoma in both community and court-related disputes. The resolution program is funded by the court system and trains volunteers such as Landes to act as mediators.

The deadline to sign up for East Central University’s annual trip to Russia and Ukraine is March 10 [SATURDAY]. This year’s tour, from May 15 to June 3, adds a visit to Yalta in southern Ukraine and possibly Prague in the Czech Republic.

The trip, which will offer six hours of 4000-level, transferable academic credit, will return to Kiev, Ukraine, and Moscow, Russia, led by Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya, ECU professor of English and languages.

Concerts performed by musicians attending a conference at East Central University March 1-3 [THURSDAY-SATURDAY] will be open to the public each night.

Each free concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Ataloa Theatre in the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center and will feature works performed by, and some composed by, artists from Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas.

Faculty and staff members from East Central University will come to Eastern Oklahoma State College March 5 [MONDAY] to talk with students about ECU’s academic departments and degree programs.

The ECU representatives will be on the EOSC campus from 12:30 to 2 p.m. ECU’s Transfer Enrollment Office will make a presentation to discuss the steps students need to complete in order to successfully transfer to ECU.

A benefit recital on Monday [FEB. 27] will help an East Central University student raise money for a study abroad trip to Ukraine and Russia in May. An auction of Russian items will follow the recital.

ECU’s Russian Studies Program and the ECU Russian Club will host the Jacob Stevens Benefit Recital at 6:30 p.m. in the Regents Room in Knight Hall. It is free to the public but donations will be appreciated.

Stevens is a junior from McAlester who is majoring in vocal music with a minor in Russian studies.

Students in a U.S. Government class at East Central University hold a receipt from the ECU Foundation Inc. for $144.50, the amount the class raised from a bake sale to benefit Smart Start South Central’s Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Mickenzi Ashby (from left), Chris McEwen, Cyndall Brown and about seven other students in Dr. Christine Pappas’ class baked a variety of items, manned the tent and sold baked goods from office to office. Each student had opportunities to explain to others the importance of the literacy program to the children of Pontotoc County.

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East Central University's mission is to foster a learning environment in which students, faculty, staff, and communityinteract to educate students for life in a rapidly changing and culturally diverse society. Within its service area,East Central University provides leadership for economic development and cultural enhancement.